A New Companion
by musicnutftw
Summary: No one knows where the Doctor will strike, but when he does, there's always trouble. Lissa Ewell discovers this the hard way when he shows up at a party her awful mother throws and violent aliens arrive shortly after. The strange thing is, these other aliens aren't after the Doctor. They're after her!
1. Episode 1: Lissie

As much as I hated family affairs, they were always made worse by the strangers Mom felt the need to invite. Dad would suggest a party and Mom would invite the whole neighborhood and then some. Very shady characters would always show up, and Dad would always throw them out, patting them down before letting them leave.

This time, the party was in a big old building in the heart of town. The library was a few blocks away, and my mind was more often there than here. The one thing that caught my eye and drew me to the present was a man in a trench coat. Somehow, Dad had managed to stop most of Mom's weirdoes from showing, but apparently, one had gotten in.

The man in the trench coat turned his head, and our eyes met. I felt my pulse pound as he looked at me with the deepest eyes I'd ever seen. A hand fell on my shoulder, and I jumped, turning away from that strange man. "Lissie, how are you?" I tried not to grimace as Albert, my uncle, smiled at me, the wine glass in his hand nearly empty. He smelled like that certainly wasn't his first drink.

"Fine, fine," I said, looking back only to see that the man had vanished. _Good riddance_. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the rest of the evening.

"Liss, sis!" someone shouted, and I turned once more to find my older brother Ralph waving me over.

"What's up, Ralphie?" I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"Name's not Ralphie. Anyway, do you think I can borrow..."

I just tuned him out, turning away. With my family, if you were older than me, you wanted something. With two older siblings and two younger ones, I just had to ride the waves of being stuck in the middle.

"Liss?" I blinked my thoughts away, looking up at Ralph.

"What?"

"Can I borrow fifty bucks?"

"No," I said, turning away from him.

"Wow. Way to be a witch, Liss."

"My name's not Liss," I said, exasperated. I turned and walked away from him only to be confronted by three more people who swore they knew me when I was "this tall", hand gestures and all.

By the time I was able to get away from everyone, my head was hurting and my ears were ringing so loudly it was almost ridiculous. It wasn't until I'd gotten away from the main throng of the party that I realized it wasn't my ears that were ringing. Something else was making that sound.

I scanned the room, uncertain of what I should even begin to look for. Just when I'd given up hope of finding anything, I spotted a little red dot on the far side of the room. It looked like the kind made by a laser pointer, and so I looked around, trying to pinpoint the source. It looked like it was coming from outside, beyond a window.

I walked over, taking a look outside, and my heart skipped a beat. Three figures in strange suits were standing outside the window. One had what looked like a gun pointed inside.

I spun around and shrieked "Everybody, get down!" A man's voice accompanied mine, and I saw the man in the trench coat, looking at me with curious eyes before we both dropped to the ground with everyone else around us just as a shot broke the glass window.

Panic ensued. More shots rang out, and I felt my heart race in terror. There was a secret exit. Everyone had to get out of here. I stood, looking for my older sister. I spotted her cowering with Mom and Dad and managed to weave my way over to her. "M-mary!" I shouted, fear pushing me into action. Was there a better motivator?

"Lissie, what is happening?" she whispered, her face so very pale.

"Mary, we've got to get everyone out of here!" I took her hands, looking into the deep brown eyes of my older sister. "The secret exit."

"R-right," she whispered back.

"Go!" I slapped her face, and she leaped up.

"E-everyone, f-f-follow me," she stammered.

When no one moved, I stood and screamed, "Let's go!"

The crowd surged into movement, everyone heading toward my sister and I. Everyone except one man in a trench coat. He met my eyes and gave me the strangest smile. I shook my head, turning away. His funeral.

As I helped calm little ones and lead people back toward the underground tunnel leading into the city streets, I couldn't get that man off my mind. His eyes...they looked so tired. They almost looked as frightened as mine all the time. My stomach had been churning since I'd ducked down, but I'd managed to staunch the flow of tears, the loss of control. As long as I could _get out_, I could hold back the anxiety.

A sharp sound, like shattering glass echoed behind me, and I turned, my anxiety spiking. Something was coming. That was when I realized that the strange man in the trench coat had not passed through the secret tunnel. I'd have known, I was the last one. So, was he out there, facing the men in the strange suits?

Suddenly, I understood the stupid people in horror films. The urge to go and see what the noise was, to make sure things were okay was incredible. I wanted to prove my fears wrong, to make sure things were normal. I wanted to see if that man was okay.

I gave in, the fear in my stomach reaching a fevered pitch. Slowly, I crept back through the building, stepping around a corner only to see the man in the trench coat, looking right at the three strange men. He opened his mouth, and spoke.

"Now, who _exactly_, are you?"

"You, human, could not pronounce our name." The voice that came from one of those men was deep, gravelly, and unreal.

"Oh? Try me?" An impossible sound echoed around the room, and the man in the trench coat made a face. "Eh. I suppose you may be right. I can make an awful lot of sounds though. Very alien indeed, and I certainly have heard of you. Why the full body suits, then? Can't imagine you have anything to fear from tiny little earthlings?"

There was a grunt, possibly of assent before the three figures reached up, pulling off their helmets. I gasped, nausea sinking into my system. I only vaguely registered the strange man's eyes darting to the side, meeting mine. Those things...they couldn't be real. They were indescribably hideous and wearing what looked like earmuffs, ones that blocked out sound. They took these off too.

"Well, aren't you just things of beauty?" The man smiled, and I knew he was insane. _Beauty?_ "I almost want to run from you." The way he said run made me realize he was talking to me. He was trying to get me to run... But what about him? Everything in me told me to leave, but I couldn't just leave this man to die. If that was even what was going to happen. I shook my head, and the man sighed.

"That's just my opinion. I'm sure you're parents think you're lovely."

I tried not to laugh at that. Happiness and fear didn't mix too well, but at least my stomach had calmed a little.

"Earthling, we seek the one called 'Lissie Ewell'".

My heart skipped a beat, and the terror began all over again, flooding my system. What could these _things_ want with me?

"And what do you want with her? Big, brutish aliens like yourself, certainly you don't need a human for anything?"

_Aliens?!_

"That is our business. Give us the girl or we will kill you."

My breath caught as the man said, "I thought you were a peaceful lot."

"You are trying my patience. Where is Lissie Ewell?"

"I don't know," he said, shrugging.

"Then you will die."

It happened so fast I almost couldn't believe it. Not him dying... I knew how to save him. The high-pitched ringing, earmuffs, and low voices all made sense. What if these things couldn't handle high pitches? I had one heck of a bloodcurdling scream, and it was about time to release some of my terrified tension.

I screamed for all I was worth, feeling some of my terror melt away. The three creatures fell to the ground, hands tight over their ears. Seconds later, they stopped moving, hands falling slack to their sides. I stopped screaming, panting a little.

"Well done," the strange man said. "For a moment there, I thought I was done for." He smiled hugely. "Now, let's run, shall we?" He walked toward me, grabbed my hand, and we ran.

By the time I could fully process what had happened, we had reached a fork in the underground tunnel. "Which way, Madam?" the strange man asked.

"Wait," I said, taking a step back from him. "Who are you?"

"The Doctor," he said, extending his hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

I frowned. "Doctor who?"

He smiled. "Just the Doctor."

"I am _not_ about to call you 'the Doctor'," I said, shaking my head.

"Just 'Doctor' works too."

"Don't you have a name?"

He smiled that same silly smile. I almost thought he was mocking me. "Just call me the Doctor. What's your name?"

I looked away. "Lissie..."

"Ewell?" I nodded. "Well, well, well. Aren't you something special. But why?"

"I'll answer your questions if you answer mine," I said.

"I'll answer your questions if you ask the right ones." He grinned like a little kid, tapping his nose. That gesture was slightly...adorable.

"What were those things back there?"

"You heard them," he said. "Their planet's name is just as hard to pronounce. You'd need their specialized vocal cords."

"That's not what I meant. I mean...you called them aliens."

"And? Do you not believe in aliens?"

I shook my head. "I mean, I've never ruled out the possibility. But...why do you know about them?"

"Well, I may or may not be an alien myself."

"An alien?" I said. "You're pretty humanoid for an alien."

He smiled that maddening smile again. "Why thank you."

"Whoa. Okay." This was almost too much. "If you're an alien, how do I know you aren't after me too?"

"I dunno. Suppose you'll have to trust me, eh?"

"Look...guy...my family and their friends are down here. I am not about to lead some alien right to them."

"Lissie, you're going to have to trust me for now, okay? If you don't, you may lose your life." He took my hand, looking deep into my eyes. I shivered. "Trust me."


	2. (Ep 1:)Some Family

And, I couldn't help it. I trusted this man with his crazy smiles and his ancient eyes.

"Fine. This way." I turned, snatching my hand out of his and walking down the left fork. The right was a dead end, anyway.

We were only walking for a few moments before...that guy...spoke again. Apparently, he wasn't one for keeping quiet. "So, Lissie. What could you have possibly done to attract the attention of some aliens, especially peaceful ones like these?"

"Peaceful?" I said, frowning. "That didn't look particularly peaceful."

"Precisely. They're a particularly snobbish species, finding themselves superior to all others. They see no one as a threat. Except for you." He turned his head to look at me, but I wouldn't meet his eyes. His stare was a bit too intense for me.

"Okay. A group of snobby aliens is after me. And _you_ are an alien, but you aren't after me?"

"Precisely. I'm not that kind of alien. Unlike them, my species has a reason to be snobby." He smiled in a self-satisfied way.

"Oh? And what are you?"

"That's beside the point. What we need to figure out is why these fellows are after you. You haven't...come in contact with strange, alien substances?" I shook my head. "Been anywhere suspicious?" Another head shake. "Had a sense of humor?" I started to shake my head before I realized what he'd said.

"Hey! I have a sense of humor. It's just hiding beneath sheer terror and mild irritation!"

"Am I annoying you?" he asked, a frown on his face.

"Look," I said, my fear wearing away at my civility, "I'm just an average, stupid, cowardly human. I've never done anything special, and I never will." I felt tears rising, but I wouldn't let them loose. I sounded like my older siblings and parents. They didn't have any faith in me either.

"Well, I seriously doubt that." I rounded on him, but his expression was so blank, so serious that I knew he meant it.

"Whatever," I said. We rounded a corner into a great, open cavern. Everyone from the party was just standing in here. Just as my frustration was about to burst out of me, I heard little voices calling my name.

"Lissie!" My two younger siblings and two of my cousins ran up to me, grabbing at my hands and legs. They were crying.

"Hey, hey," I said, getting down on my knees so they could all hug me properly. "It'll be okay, guys. Don't worry."

"Oh, Lissie," my little brother, Calvin, cried. "We were so worried about you."

"I'm fine. And you guys will be too, okay?" I stroked his hair, smiling encouragingly. That was when I noticed-I will not call him the Doctor-smiling at me. A little flare of irritation spiked, but I just let it go, sighing.

"Guys," I said, standing. "This is-"

"The Doctor," he said, winking at me.

"Doctor?" Chrissie, my little sister, whined. "I don't like doctors."

"Not that kind," I said, smiling. "He's-"

"Lissie Ewell, where the heck have you been?" I turned, my smile falling off of my face. Mom was walking over to me, anger etched into her face. "Why didn't you come down here with the rest of us? You could have died."

"She saved my life," the strange man said.

"And who the heck are you?"

"The Doctor."

"Doctor, huh?" Mom said, suddenly much less angry. She shot him a flirtatious smile, and I thought I was going to be sick.

"Yes," I said, grabbing his hand. "Friend of mine, I saved him, have you seen Mary?" I ran my words together as I dragged him behind me, away from my disgusting mother.

"Wait, don't go!" Mom cried, but I just kept on walking.

"Charming woman," the man said.

"Right." I felt sick all of a sudden, and I stopped walking, holding my stomach.

"Lissie, are you-"

"Lissie!" Mary ran over to me, grabbing my hands. "Where have you been?"

"Mary?" I frowned, fighting back nausea. "Why didn't you get everyone out of here?"

"I got so panicked, and I forgot the way."

"Oh, Mary. Take everyone to the right."

"Where does the right lead?" the man asked.

"By the park. It's only two blocks away from where we started."

"And the left?"

"The library," I said, looking up at him. He was focusing on something, so I looked back to Mary.

"Get everyone out of here and send them home," I said to her.

"Yeah, yeah," she said. "By the way," and she leaned in close, "who's the hottie with you?"

"Just go!" I shouted, supremely frustrated.

"All right, already." She turned, tossing a wink at-him-before heading off to gather everyone together.

"Charming family," he said, but I hardly heard him. I felt my legs give out, and I sank to the ground. "Are you all right?"

"Fine, fine," I said, trying to stand again. "Sometimes I just get a little lightheaded is all." He helped me to my feet, and I tried to smile. "Let's get out of here, okay?"

"Lissie, you are no ordinary girl."

"Lissa," I mumbled, looking down through the tunnels where Mary was leading people.

"I'm sorry?"

"Everyone calls me Lissie, but my name is really Lissa. Those aliens must have heard it from someone else because I hate being called Lissie. Not that anyone cares." I started walking and he fell in at my side.

"Well, Lissa Ewell, I promise you that before this evening is out, we'll have these aliens packing. How's that sound?"

I smiled at him. "Fantastic."


	3. (Ep 1:)A Book

The man and I were the last out of the tunnels, and I was kind of glad. He was an excellent companion and it was nice to have him to myself, even if he was an alien. Honestly, that remained to be seen.

As we were walking through the park, presumably back to my house, I heard a deep, guttural sound, and the man stopped, shoving me behind him. Two of the...aliens stepped out from behind a tree, and one of them was carrying the strange gun.

"Lissa, I want you to get out of here," the man said, his voice a whisper.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. Just go." He pushed me back, and spoke to the aliens. "Well, so good to see you again."

I turned, running as fast as I could. This man...he would have a plan. Aliens dealt with aliens all the time, right? He'd be okay...wouldn't he?

Something grabbed me, covering my mouth. I fought hard, my fear rising again. The deep laughter froze me. "Now I have you, Lissie Ewell."

No. No, no, no, no, no! I bit the thing's hand, hard, and he let go of my mouth. "Help!" I shrieked. I could see him, standing there, talking to the other two aliens. But, he didn't even turn. I struggled, kicking the alien, hard. It released me and I screamed, "Doctor!"

He spun to face me just as the alien grabbed me again. The look of surprise on his face was quickly masked by assurance. It was like he was asking me to trust him all over again. If anyone could get me out of this, it was him.

"Well, isn't that easier than just calling me 'that guy'?" The Doctor asked as he came closer to the alien who was holding onto me.

"If I say yes, will you get me out of this mess?"

"With pleasure." He looked up at the alien. "Well, you have her. What happens next?"

My eyes widened in shock, but the Doctor's warned me to stay silent. "We will destroy her," the alien said. "She knows too much."

"Huh. Hear that, Lissa? What is it you know?"

"Nothing!" I said, struggling.

The alien holding me barked, and I jumped, my heart racing. "Doctor, did you call this human 'Lissa'?"

"I did indeed," he said.

Suddenly, I was released, and I fell into the Doctor's arms. "We seek not Lissa." The alien turned to the others and said, "Let us continue our search for Lissie Ewell." They turned and ran off.

"There we go, easy as pie, eh? Lissa? Lissa!"

My whole body was trembling, and my breath was coming in gasps that made me feel dizzy. I bit my lip hard. I couldn't cry. If I started crying, it would be all over.

"Hey, Lissa." The Doctor held me close, keeping me steady and on my feet. "Shh," he whispered, and I let out a sob. "Come on, you have to stay strong. People are depending on you."

"M-me?" I whispered, my voice weak from dizziness and holding back tears.

"Yes, you. Those aliens are out for blood. We need to find out why they want you or someone's going to get hurt." I felt my whole body shudder, but his calm voice was talking me down. "Lissa, your family needs you." I scoffed, but he just said, "I need you."

My head snapped up, and I looked into his eyes. It was like he honestly believed what he was saying. I found my anxiety had faded under the sound of his soft voice. I took a deep breath, steadying myself on my feet.

"There, all better." The Doctor smiled at me, but I couldn't return it. "Lissa?"

"I'm gonna go home to make sure my family is okay," I said, turning away from him.

"Allow me to join you," and the strange alien man hooked his arm in mine. I sighed. There was nothing else for it, so I started heading home.

"Lovely place," the Doctor said when I lead him inside my house.

"Just wait," I said, turning to go up the stairs to my room. "If we can avoid my family, we'll be lucky."

"You have a charming family."

"What planet are you from?" I asked, not realizing what I said until he responded.

"Gallifrey."

"That's right," I said, laughing. "Alien. But you look so human."

"You look Time Lord to me."

"Time Lord," I said, frowning as I opened the door to my room. "Right."

"Well," the Doctor said, smiling at my room. "What a place, indeed. Books, everywhere!"

"Watch your step," I said, wading through the towers of books all over my floor. I walked over to my bed, sitting down and putting my head between my knees for a moment. When I finally looked up, the Doctor was wearing glasses.

"You wear glasses?" I asked.

"For thinking. And reading. The important things I suppose. I had this lovely pair of 3-D glasses once. No one got that until...well, until it was too late."

The Doctor suddenly looked very sad, and I found myself wanting to comfort him. "Doctor?" He looked up at me, his expression dark and terribly serious. "Thank you for saving me earlier."

"My pleasure," he said, his expression clearing. "All right." He clapped his hands together, looking around my room. "So, why are these aliens after you?"

"I don't know," I said.

"They said...hmm. They said you knew too much about them, so what do you know?"

"Only what you've told me." He turned away, pacing around my pile of books. Books... "Wait!" He spun to face me. "Books. There was a book. Oh, where is it?" I started scanning my bookshelves.

"What book?"

"A book about aliens. The library had just gotten it in, no one knew why or who ordered it. I took it home to figure out what its story was."

"Mysterious book on aliens shows up in the local library, and you just take it home?"

"I work there," I said. "It's kind of my job."

"Right, right. But where is the book now?"

"Back at the library," I said. "I've returned it."

"That means," and he spins to face me. "We go to the library!"

I shook my head. "Not 'we'. You."

The Doctor's expression fell. "You don't want to come?"

"I think I've had enough adventure for one night, thank you."

"Oh." The Doctor was silent for a moment before he perked up again. "All right, then. Your choice. I usually work alone anyway. No problem." He walked over to me, shaking my hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Lissa Ewell."

He turned and walked away, out of my life. I turned to face my room again. Things felt different now that the Doctor was gone. I was back to feeling lonely again. I flopped back on my bed, my head hitting something hard.

"Ow!" I reached under my blankets and pulled out...a book. "Oh no!" I said. I'd just sent the Doctor to the library to look for a book I still had with me. Out of curiosity, I opened the book, looking at the Table of Contents. I found the heading "Time Lords" and in a small subheading were the words "The Doctor".

I flipped to that section, reading quickly. The Doctor was a legend. He showed up in all sorts of places, and wherever he went, death was his constant companion. It wasn't the only one, though. The Doctor...historically worked with a human companion.

"That liar!" I said, leaping to my feet.


	4. (Ep 1:)Another Library

I wasn't prepared for what I saw when I opened the doors to the library. All the lights were on bright, perfectly lighting up the face of my dead employer, Ms. Roole. I screamed.

After taking a deep, steadying breath, I pressed forward. What if the Doctor was dead? I would never forgive myself for letting him go alone.

I crept through the over-bright aisles, searching, searching. I needed to find the Doctor. Where could he be?

I heard a loud crash, and my heart nearly stopped. "Oh no." I ran toward the sound, pulling up short when I saw those weird aliens with impossible names. All three of them were standing facing the Doctor. A bookshelf had been knocked over, which must have been the crash I'd heard.

"Now boys, can't we all just get along?" the Doctor asked.

"Where is the book, human?" one of the aliens growled.

"Now why would you go and say that?" The Doctor shook his head. "I'm not a human. I'm the Doctor."

"Time Lord!" one of the aliens gasped.

"Never mind. We have on purpose, Doctor. Where is the book!?" The alien pointed its gun at the Doctor.

"Right here!" I shouted.

Four pairs of eyes fell on me, and I thought I might be sick. _Save the Doctor._ I took a steeling breath. "I have your book."

"The human from earlier!" the alien pointed his gun at me. "Give me the book."

"Give me the Doctor," I replied.

The alien debated it for a moment before turning to look at the Doctor. "You may go."

He walked to me, hands in his trench coat pockets. "Couldn't stay away, could you?"

"Shut up," I said, but I was so relieved that he was okay.

"Give us the book, Human!"

I took a deep breath before dropping the book on the ground, pulling a match from my pocket, striking it, and dropping it on the book. It caught fire immediately, and the aliens cried out.

"Human, you shall pay." The lead alien stepped closer to me, his gun aimed at my heart.

"Hold on," I said.

"Why?"

"Listen to what I have to say before you judge me." My heart was pounding fast, but I'd thought this through on the way over. I had to say it all now.

"Speak!" I jumped, but the Doctor put a hand on my shoulder, steadying me.

"Go ahead," he said, his voice soft.

I took another calming breath. "Y-you..." I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. But, if I didn't, I would die right here. "You said there was knowledge in this book you didn't want known by anyone. The only way to make sure no one will know what's inside is to destroy it."

The aliens looked me over for a long moment. "And what about you, Lissie Ewell?"

I frowned. "What about me?"

"You know far too much of us. Should we not destroy you too?"

"You won't need to destroy her." All eyes fell upon the Doctor.

"And why is that, Time Lord?"

"Because, I can simply erase her memory." I gasped, but he continued. "She will simply forget everything she has read and that you were ever even here."

The leader grunted a few times before saying, "Fair trade."

The Doctor turned to me, but I took a step back. "No," I whispered. "I don't want to forget."

"It's either forget what has happened or lose your life."

"I don't want to forget you, Doctor." The words slipped out before I realized what I was saying. "I-I'm sorry."

"Lissa, it will be okay. I promise. You just have to trust me." He placed his hands on my temples and tears rushed down my face. In a matter of moments, everything went dark.

I sat up slowly, unsure of where I was for a moment. The familiar feel of my blankets and my bed bring me slowly back to Earth. I was in my room. And I was so tired.

I couldn't remember what I was doing in my room. How had I gotten here from the party? I honestly couldn't remember much of the day's events. I hadn't been drinking, though, so why couldn't I remember?

Slowly, I cast my eyes around my room, looking for some explanation when my eyes fell on a man in a trench coat leaning against one wall. Suddenly, it all came rushing back to me. "Doctor!" I cried out. I felt tears of relief and terror run down my face. It was all real, all of those aliens, all that terrifying mess. But so was the Doctor.

"How are you feeling?" the Doctor asked, coming closer to me.

"Better," I said.

"Then come with me. There's something I want to show you." He extended a hand to me, and I took without thinking. Trusting this man would just be a matter of instinct now. I knew that.

He led me through my house, his footsteps as silent as my own, as though he knew this place and all its creaky floorboards as well as I did. It was dark outside, but it looked like the sun would be rising soon. I found myself wishing this night would never end. I couldn't shake the feeling that when it did, something bad was going to happen.

I followed the Doctor until we reached what looked like a wooden, blue phone booth. The sign on the door read "Police Telephone Free for Use of Public". "A phone booth?" I said, looking up at the Doctor.

"It's my space ship," he said, smiling slightly.

"Is it really?" I said, my nerdy, sci-fi loving side showing.

"Yep. Would you like to see the inside?" I nodded, unable to speak. A space ship! An _alien_ space ship! The impossibility of it all left me mute.

The Doctor took a key, fit it in the lock, and turned it. I nearly laughed at how mundane it seemed, a space ship with a door key. He pulled the door open, gesturing for me to come inside. "After you."

Suddenly anxious, I stepped in and stopped, my eyes wide in awe. "Bigger on the inside," I whispered. As the words left my mouth, I suddenly felt like I wasn't alone in saying those words. As a matter of fact, I was in pretty good company.

I turned to the Doctor, looking for an explanation. "What do you think?" he asked.

"Are there words?" I replied, walking in a little farther. "It's amazing."

"It's called the TARDIS: Time and Relative Dimension in Space."

"Time and Relative Dimension in Space," I repeated, certain I would never forget. "Wait, time?" I turned to see him smiling in such a goofy way that I actually laughed.

"Yep. It travels in time too."

"Time and space," I whispered. "Time Lord. Now I understand."

"Lissa?"

I turned to face the Doctor. "What is it?"

"Would you like to come with me?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Would you like to travel with me? We could go anywhere in time or space, planets, moons, space stations! We could go see the Beatles in concert or watch the signing of the Declaration of Independence! Anywhere you could dream of going!"

He smiled hugely, but I couldn't bring myself to return it. My heart was pounding so fast, my anxiety acting up in the worst way. I shook my head roughly, unable to speak through my fear.

His smile fell, and I felt my heart break the tiniest bit. "No?"

"I-I can't," I breathed. "I'm sorry. It sounds so amazing, but I couldn't. I don't deserve such an offer, and I'm such a coward I would only be a hindrance. Please, don't waste your offer on me." I felt a tear slide down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it away.

"Lissa-"

"Please?" I said, looking into his ancient eyes.

He didn't speak for a long moment, just looked at me. I was positive he could see me trembling, and it only made me feel worse.

"If you're certain," he said. I managed another nod. "All right, then. Perhaps we'll meet again, Lissa."

"I hope so," I whispered before turning to run out of the strange blue box. I heard the strangest sound behind me, and I stopped to watch as the TARDIS vwoorped its way out of my life, slowly disappearing before my eyes.


	5. (Ep 1:)Travel With Me

I hated when she started yelling. "You stupid, stupid girl! Don't you have anything better to do than sit and read all the time? What about my shopping? Did you pick up my dry cleaning? Your sister at least can take care of herself. What about you?"

I held back the tears, and I held back the anger, burying myself deeper in my book. My mom wasn't worth the time of day when she got in a mood like this. I wished Dad were here. He was the only one who knew what to do with her. He at least cared about us.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" My book went flying, and she stood there in front of me, hands on her hips, hair wild and eyes aflame with fury.

I stood slowly, reaching to pick up my book. I looked up at her, anger pulsing. "Why don't you just get Mary to do everything for you?"

I knew the slap was coming, but that didn't make it hurt any less. "You stupid-"

"Enough!" I screamed, and my mother took a step back. "That's enough. I'm so sick of you nagging at me and yelling. I'm so sick of being the focus of all your anger. Go yell at someone else for a change!" And with that, I turned and ran from the room.

"Lissie, what was that?" Mary said. She was in the kitchen, and I had to go through it to get away. I could hear the TV in the other room where Chrissie and Calvin must have been.

"Nothing," I said, heading for the door.

"You and Mom get in a fight again?"

I stopped, one hand poised to open the door. "Doesn't matter."

"You deserve it, you know."

I whirled on her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

"You never did introduce me to your friend from the other day. The tall one with the great hair. It's just karma, of course. You let him get away."

_You let him get away._ I couldn't even cry anymore. Her words left me empty inside, and I just had to get away. I couldn't remember why I'd thought it would be okay to let him walk out of my life. I missed a man I didn't even know.

I opened the door, shutting it slowly behind me as I stepped out into the sunlight. My dad was walking up the steps, but he stopped when he saw me and the expression on my face.

"Lissa, are you okay?"

I shook my head. "Dad, I need to go."

He looked at me, concerned. "Another fight?" I nodded. He reached up and ruffled my hair before saying, "Okay, kiddo. I'll hold down the fort until you come back. Don't worry about a thing."

"I love you, Dad," I said, giving him a hug.

"I love you too," he said, squeezing me back. We broke apart, and I walked away, down the street. I had no idea where I could possibly go, but I just felt this overwhelming need to get away from everything.

My feet pushed me forward since my brain refused to direct me. I walked with a heavy heart, trying so hard not to think about him. It was this obstinacy that kept me from seeing it until I was only a foot from it. I stared for a long time, unable to really believe what I was seeing.

I pressed my hand against the blue wood of the phone box, willing it to be real. It felt solid enough beneath my fingers. I pushed against the door, and it opened slightly. Taking a deep breath, I pushed it open the rest of the way and stepped inside.

It was just as I'd left it that day, a month ago. Everything was exactly the same. Even the man inside, the one I'd tried desperately to forget, was the same. Of course he was. It was a time machine after all.

The Doctor was leaning against the center console, his ancient eyes watching me. He didn't say anything, just watched.

"Why did you let me keep my memory?" I took a step further inside, my heart pounding.

The Doctor took a breath through his nose, making an odd sound. "Well, now. I thought I owed you for saving my life." I just looked at him, and so he said, "I've taken far too many memories in my long life."

"How many?"

"Isn't one too many?"

I managed a small smile, amazed at his...well...humanity. "Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same question."

I laughed. I couldn't help it. This whole situation was so very awkward I couldn't stand it. "It's good to see you again, Doctor."

He smiled right back at me. "Good to see you too, Lissa."

"Been anywhere interesting since you've been gone?"

"There're galaxies out there, Lissa. I could've gone anywhere."

"Yeah," I said, unable to keep the wistful tone out of my voice.

"Lissa, I wanted to ask you once more." I looked up at the strange man in his pinstriped suit. For the first time, I noticed he was wearing Converse. My favorite shoes.

"Yes, Doctor?" I said.

"Travel with me, Lissa. Please."

I looked at the Doctor for a long time, my pulse pounding. "It'll be dangerous."

"Yes," he said.

"There'll be more aliens."

"Yes."

"And I'll have to trust you still?"

He smirked. "Yes. But you'll see things you never even imagined existed, meet creatures from fairy tales and nightmares, and maybe even save lives."

"Doctor," I said, "I'm scared."

"You should be," he replied. "But that doesn't mean it's not worth it."

"I reserve the right to leave you whenever I want."

"Fair enough," he said, nodding.

"I'm a coward."

"Would a coward have stood up to those aliens the way you did?"

I thought about that for a moment. "I don't even know what that was."

"Don't sell yourself short! You were brilliant!"

"I try not to think about it." I shrugged. "Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"I would like nothing more than to travel with you."

He grinned like a little kid on Christmas morning, and I found myself smiling too. "_Allons-y,_ then?"

"_Allons-y_!"


	6. Episode 2: The Planet of Stone

"You're joking?"

"Nope."

"Doctor, you're taking me to a planet full of giant sponges?"

"Yep!" He wouldn't stop smiling. It was mildly infuriating. "Start you off slow. Sponges, nice and easy." He throws a switch and pushes a few buttons. The TARDIS started shaking, and I fell against the center console-thing.

"And, there!" I heard a banging sound, and suddenly everything was still. "Lissa?"

"Mmph." I pushed myself up, trying to ignore the sharp pain in my side from falling on some strange object protruding from the center console. "What?"

"Come on, let's see then!" He offered me his hand, and I shook my head.

"You're ridiculous."

"Thank you. Now, come on!"

I smiled in response, taking his hand. He pulled me to the door, throwing it open and stepping out. I followed him out, looking around.

"This…is not Porifera." The Doctor frowned. "Something's not right."

"We're on the wrong planet?" I said. I could feel my knot of anxiety in my stomach tightening.

"Yeah, that happens sometimes. TARDIS has a mind of her own. Tricky girl, she is."

"The TARDIS is a girl?"

"'Course she is. What else would she be?"

"A spaceship?"

"No! And yes. Anyway, not the chief concern. Where are we?"

"You don't know where we are?"

"Then you should leave!"

The Doctor and I spun to find a man holding a spear and a reflective shield. He narrowed his eyes at us. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Where is here?" the Doctor replied.

"Planet Perseus." The man's response was curt. At first I thought he was just being rude, but when I looked closer, I could see the telltale signs of fear. It was like the Doctor had said. Something was wrong indeed.

"Planet Perseus, eh?" The Doctor frowned. "I know that name."

"He's the hero who defeated Medu—"

"Do not say that name!" The man lowered his spear at me, and I blanched.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"I will ask you once more, who are you? What is your business here?"

"I'm the Doctor and this is my companion," the Doctor responded, casual as could be.

"You're a doctor?"

"Well, yes and no."

"Please, can you help us?"

"It's quite possible."

"Follow me." The man turned away from us to lead the way before turning his head back. "But stay close."

"Doctor," I said, looking at the stone surrounding me, "are we underground?"

"Possibly. The surface of this planet may not be habitable, so perhaps to these people this is the surface."

"Is he human?"

"No."

"What year is this?"

"Don't know. Not too important right now. What is important is whatever has this poor man so scared."

"Yeah," I said. _And why he wouldn't let me say Medusa._

I wasn't prepared for this. "Everyone, I've brought a doctor!" The tent was full of…aliens…lying under blankets. I was no judge of alien illness, but all of them looked sick to my human eyes. The man leading us pushed a button on his watch, and I gasped when he suddenly became just like the aliens lying around me.

He turned to face us, and I restrained a squeak of slight revulsion. "Doctor, please come and see."

"Of course." The Doctor and I followed the alien to one of the sick ones. We knelt down to the stone ground, and the Doctor put his hand to the skin of the sick alien. "Cold," he said. "Too cold."

"That's a side-effect." The alien reached down and withdrew the blanket from his comrade. I gasped, my stomach lurching.

"S-stone," I said.

The entire lower half of the alien's body was solid gray stone. It looked like the stone had been making its way from somewhere like a foot, and it just kept spreading.

"What did this?" The Doctor touched the stone alien, his brow furrowing.

"They are called Medusiae," the alien said. "Their gaze turns those who meet it to stone."

"Like the myth," I whispered. "But I thought the gaze would turn someone to stone completely. Why is this creeping?"

"These here," the man said, gesturing to the aliens I could see, "caught a glimpse of a Medusiae in something reflective. Something polished and reflective would have turned them to stone immediately. This poor fellow saw one in the reflection of someone's eye. The other…was lucky. He became stone on the spot."

"Lucky?" I gasped, horrified.

"This…is pain. Agonizing pain." As if to prove his point, I heard a shriek. The alien sprang to his feet, running to another form on the floor.

"Doctor, what are they?" I whispered.

"Perseans."

"Did you make that up just now?"

"Yep."

"Great."

"Doctor, please!" The Doctor leapt up, heading toward our alien escort. I turned to face the alien before me, fear making it impossible to move. The stone, however, felt no such restraint. I watched it creep another inch, and I let out a little exclamation.

I got to my feet, wanting to flee. It took me a moment to calm myself, which was a miracle in and of itself. I pulled the blanket back over the alien at my feet (Persean, ha!), and walked over to where the Doctor was kneeling.

This one looked like a girl alien. She looked pretty rough. The stone was already up to the top of her chest.

"This is my daughter," the alien said, looking down at the girl before us.

"Daddy," she whispered. I felt my heart break clean in two. There was so much sadness in that word.

"Yes, my angel. It will be all right." He took her hand, and a tear fell from his strange, alien eyes.

"I just want it to stop hurting!" she cried, and I flinched.

The Doctor took something out of his coat pocket. It glowed and made a strange whirring noise as he ran it along the length of the girl.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Sonic screwdriver."

"A sonic screwdriver?"

"Yep. Good for all sorts of…things. It's complicated."

"Everything is with you," I muttered. I turned to the other alien. "Do you have a name?"

"Malgam," he said, looking up at me.

"I'm Lissa," I said.

"All right, introductions are lovely, but we've got work to do." The Doctor got back to his feet, looking around us.

"Doctor." Malgam squeezed his daughter's hand once more before standing. "Can you save my daughter?"

"No."


End file.
